Loading machine



July 31, 1923. R. P. GREENLEAF LOADING MACHINE Filed Jan. 17. 191 s sheets-sheet 1 Juli 3l, 1923. 1,463,550 P. GREENLEAF LOADING MACHINE Filed Jan. i s sheets-shee1 2 ,/"f\ r\-.a` m 'Y Patented July 31, 1923.

am mw ROBERT P. GEEENLEAF, ouCLEVELAND,v onrogdnsslrjeuon 'Tiofcrnanx'nrnnines Application led January 17,11917'5ySeria1 1\o.1142,7892fri i To aZZ whom/t may concern.'A`

`it is necessary in order to load the `material into a car or; receiving element at the rear of `the machinethat the materialeither be brought throughor over the machine from a point in front thereof intothe vreceiving element. H

The object of the presentfinvention-'is to provide a loading machine .includinga dig' ging and scooping elementv preferably in the form of a shovel or bucket,which after receiving a load, carries the material'back over the-machine andfdumps itinto the receiving element behind the machine. Furl it might strike the .upper wall ofthe pas-V ther it is vthe aim of the invention to accom'-v plish this result without the necessity for cables, trolley orV cumbersome ,supporting and Vcarrying mechanism, and to lsupport' the bucket, shovel or digging element so=that it will have a fairly long thrust or stroke, and in swinging back over the vmachine to dump the material, will not project above the floor or mine track such a distance that sageway inv which 'the machineV is-being worked, or the overheadfmine timbering.- Additional objects areito give the digging member. with a single motorftheV movements necessary to dig or pick up a load, tofcarry the materialrearwardly 'and to discharge it' behind the machine, -andtoprovide means.. whereby the .length ofl theforwa'rd or dig-` ging stroke canl be varied withoutyarying the dumping pointf'or. rearwar'dilimit until themotor is stopped.

movement. y Y. Still further the'V invention aiins'to provide amachinev` having the4v above 'charac-- teristics and desirable' features andwhichlis at-.the same time notcomplicated in construction, durable, andV which 'works continuously or automaticallygL-the "digging, and A"convey-f` ing element pass-ing without? interruption through'one'cycle of movement after. another f The above and. additional 'objects-are `accomplished: by my .invention which maybe brieiiy .summarized .as consisting; inl` certain novel Y details :of ffconstruction andy combina-i tionsfand arrangementsof'parts: which will be. described in vthe specification and :set

forth in the'.` appended'claims: y In :the accompanying sheetzof drawings wherein liliave rshownlvone. embodiment of my invention vwhichffworksuwith high .ef-v

iiciency, Fig: l is a side elevation ofthe machine with the shovel shownin full lines in onexposition', while-it isl being Imoved rearwardly over the -machine tothe dumping point, the shovelbeing shownby dotted lines` K in other vpositions which it assumesV inpassing 'from'.one complete .pathgor cycle of movement F ig. 2- -is a :similarview ofthe forward part vofthe. machine.r showing thev shovel in `differentipositions by full and dotted lines, the full-line position indicating 1 the shovel near the-beginningiof thedigf gingv or filling strokc-g-.lfigr isa toplplan view with yparts in section;v Fig. 4 is 'za perspective view` of ablock which is adjustable in aslotted link to vary the strokeaof vthe shovel; andFig.V 5;.is a f-ragmentaryelevation 'showing-.thefblock of` F ig. 4 adjusted `to a different position than; shown in Figs. 1`

and 2. vi

v The machine' in which myv invention is em#y bodiedlfis. preferably run upon a track 10 eol which maybe a track laid on the floor of a f mine. The machine'includes a truck frame 11, having track wheels' 12,the middle portion of the framell beingzdepressedto ac commodate certain moving .partsto beref.v ferred to later. .Supported by the frame 11 is abody or housingl?) which ispivotedl at the rear part ofthe frame Vor truck frame 11,3 by a vertical. kingbolty 14 so that it may-A be turned about .a vertical Vaxis" `to enable the shovelto'reach material locatednot only" j directlyin front but within afgiven distance to-either side of they machine. rThe forward part of the body 1.3 is. providedvwith one or more rollers-15: designed to run-upon an arc-1 shaped track 16, concentric withwresp'ect to theaxis -`of 'the king bolt .14.1 Supported on the rear part of thebodyi13 is'a motor 17,-

lia-ving a forwardly. feitendingflshaft? 18,

which through' suitable-gearing herez shown= as worm wheel gearing-19,rotates a shaft- 20 supported in bearings 2,1v atlthe top'offtwo upstanding. side-Waller22"ofthe?l body. or

\ housing.V 13. Thesesidevwalls221not only' support the sheftt but they als? ndlzeetlv suppoxtf the shvelfand otherpalts, andthen upper edges are designed tobe engaged by,A

rollers carried. by, Certain Q f. the ShQVel Sepporting "arms, the Yforward V"portions tof 'these side walls being curved on Varcs offvl a circle of given radius, and then inclined "down-Y i Y wardly rearwardly iniStraightlinesas, will be seen particularly from Figs. l and 2. Secured-tothe 'shaft 2.0rare a pair of crank arms 23 which 'are' justfoutsideof the side walls1f22; of, the housing, Itl is through the Vrotation-'rot'these 'cranks' operated vby the single'motor l? that the shovelV is given the digging 'andA conveying movement-necessary to pick up material infrontof. the machine an'd'fdeposit it i-n'to` a car org other receiving member-at the rear of.u the machine, 'a portion ofv a carfbeing shown at 24;' in Fig. l.'

The material is picked up" by shovel or Y bucket 25which is open at the front and has sides, bottom, and; rear wall-s. Y is secured to vvtwo'arms`26, constituting a part ot a"foldable 'and extensible support, these arms extending along the bottom portion of! the shovel. and. vthenV` outwardly therefrom,

the' portion ot-the arms ex'tend'ingfrom the Gonnected vat 3Q4 tothe 'arms 26, a short 'distancel below the pivoted points 27, are arms 3l, which at their'l lower ends.v are pivot.-

allyconnected. at." 32 to relatively short/arms.

33, likewise connected to the ends of shaft.. 29. The arms 26, 28, 3lV and;A 33`constitute supporting andoperating mechanism, for

thefshovel, these arms being arranged in L two` sets-of;L fourl arms each which Aapproxi,-

mate a,'Yparal-lelograml While-the arms. as here shown are' IlQtf in the form oit a true parallelogram, inasmuch as opposite arms or the,.plortionsfthereo` between Vthe pivotA points. 27, 29, :Boland 32 are` not precisely the same' length and; therefore parallel,nevi ertheleSs. these sets of; arms perform VVthe function*substantially of parallel movement` A e Y' tensions 42, hayingfbearing'bosses at their free' ends inwhich, is iournaled;` a cross-shaft 'mec,hanisrniLA QFor thepurpose ottransmitting.movement.f Y b etweerfl' the rotatingshait 201 andthe. shovel i A supporting, and;r operating arms just. described, L employVV two curved? links 34:` which are pivotally;connected at. 35'v tov .the` ends, o-rv V the cranksg23, and at or?, near their-'outer Y `linksj34l, andgthe; arms would;` suliceit.- strokes yof; constant lengthk were'to be givenV ends-:are connected; toV the'y arms Y A` straight; pivotal. connectonbetween the tothe shovel, butrinasmuchas it is one ofv the fejatuiesiofg this-invention that. the rtf,.- walid Ondiggilg strokes I mayA be varied, le

actatl times 'as tension members and at other times as compression members. It will be apparent also that `while Ythe shovelY is being Agivenits filling thriistor.- movement, Y the links 34 acting on the arms 3.1 .push the shovel forwardly `and theretore act 'ascoinpression members and` while .the` shovel is i beingy moved rearwardly;` over `themachinef to the dumping point; these links are. acting as tension members. VThe. varying of the length of the yfilling strokel on the 4 shovel without varying the rearward llnit ofiinove.-A nient of theish'ovel. is brought' about by vary:-

'ing the eective lengths ofrthe links-while acting as compression.members:so. laste {vai-.y the distance that the shovel. is moved tor;-

wardly. during the filling'. stroke while: still 1 allowing the. normal or maximumV effective length ofthe linksxduringfthe periodKA of. time Y thatthese links act .as tension members, and particularly while they serve to move. the shovel to theV dumping point. 'In carryingV out` this; feature ofV the invention I proV Vvide inl the links elongated slots 3.6 rwhich Y receive adjustable blocks on: aloutments '3.7'

adapted to. beixed in or adaustedl to` dier.-

entv positions in theslots, andi also'freceive 1 square bushings 38 which are designed to.

slide back andkforth between theseblocks. 3T

and` the outer ends; oiiv the slots when.. thel links. change from compression nmembers' to tension members and vi,cevers a.` Rassing,

through thesebushings. 33 is la cross. shaft 382, the endsotwhicli pass'freely, through the enfds ofrthe arms3lf. f Y Y f For thel purpose of providing means for adjiisting. the position'ot the blocks in the` slots 36, the 'forward slotted ends of; these linksfare provided. with bracketsjorlvextensions 39;v in which arev journaled threaded shaftsl 4.0 which extendthrough and are 'engaged by nuts' l1,constitaiting extensions of:

the-blocks 37.Y The outer end`s of; thel links no l 34 are, provided also; with? tra Cra-iikMX.f`

43', see particularly, Fig.l 3, to the-,middle,oftV whichgis' securedan adjusting hand wheel 4e.' The ends ofrthis shaft 43 are connected-by bevel gearing 4:5.- to` the threaded@ screws or shaftsf40 which :are engaged: by the slide;

- Lt. this, hand; wheel-:flats is. tairnebim]enel direction 2er. the other, fthe', blocks.; will be moved; equal amounts'along the slots 36.

VAs these. blocks or'. abutments are engagedV by the. bushingsY 38.3.- whenthe linkst are Y act ing as compression. members, it.A will be ap:

parent that the farther these blocks are moved inwardly along the Vslots the shorter the length of the filling stroke will be, and as the blocks are movedY toward the outer ends of the slots' the length of the filling stroke will be increased, for this adjustment has the eect of increasingthe distance that the shovel is pushed forwardly bythe links during the filling stroke. In Figs. land 2 the blocksV are adjusted for the maximum filling stroke, the bushings then being lixed between the abutments and the outer ends of the links-l The cross-shaft 38a extending between the blocks 37 is provided with rollers 46 which, while theshovel is being moved over the machine from substantially the position shown in Fig'. 1 to substantiallythe position shown by the extreme right-hand dotted position of the shovel, are designed to travel over and to be guided by tlie curved or peculiarly shaped upperj edges of the side walls 22,' so that the shovel inpassing rearwardly and forwardly over the machine will travel through the desired path and at the desiredheight from the mine floor. Not only do these rollers engage the guides formed by the side walls 22 during the to and fro movement. of the' shovel over the machine, but throughout the digging or material receiving portion of the movement of the shovel these rollers engage a pairof guides Y 47 whoseffunctionY is' to control the path. of

Clt

movement of the lower digging edge of the shovel while it is being filled with material. Preferably these guides 47 which are supportedat the front part of the body or housing 13 are adjustable So that the lower edge of the shovel can be caused to pass through any desired plane, or apath having any de'-L sired angular relation to the groundor floor from which the material is scraped by the shovel. As here shown, these, guides 47 are positioned so that throughoutthe material receiving portion of the strokel of the shovel the lower edge of the same moves lhorizontally or through a plane parallehwiththe plane of the track 10. lIn order that these guides may be readily adjusted, they are supported by bolts 48 lpiv'oted to the guides at 49, and passing through swinging lblocks pivotally mounted betweenV webs 56 at the'forward end of the body or housing 13;"

Nut-S51 which'engage threaded Aportions of the supporting vboltstt vand-which restV upon the ltops or upper.v ends of the trunnioned blocks 'are adapted vto'be turned to raise or lowerthe bolts-43 and henceto adjustA either the forward'ror'rear endslor both of the'guides 47.

lVithl the lshovel supporting and yoperate-` ing mechanism as' described., (incl'nding lthe 'four' pivotally connected arms 'p ivoted to the housing and one of vthe arms lhav'ing 1a link 'connection with the rotating crankot certain' length of .digging movement yby being moved forwardlywand tipped as it is moved with ithe digging edge moving in a predetermined planedetermined by the angularity lor positions j or the guides V4:7, which during this portion of the; shovel movement are engaged bythe rollersv 46. It will "be observedthat atthe start' of this digging thrust or movement the shovel support is collapsed so .to speak, the arms 26, 28 and 31 being as near parallelisnras the form of the support willadmit, and that asvthe cranks are rotated' downward from the position shown in F ig. i2 (the cranks operating in a counter-clockwise ydirection ,as viewed in. this figure) the support for the shovel' is extended, that is to say,rthe arms 26'and`the arms 128, are gradually caused to approach alignment. 'This enablesa forwardv filling stroke or thrust of considerable length to be obtained, the preoise length of this portion of the stroke de# pending upon the position of the blocks 37 in the slots of the connecting and'operduring the 'll'ing 'portion of the stroke andso as to prevent the'material discharging prematurely from the shovel. This rtakes placey when the .cranks '23 swingL downwardly for a certain distance beyond the dead center" and 'is accomplished by the enthe shaft 29 which thefarms'28 and 33 are connected to the side walls` of the hous-v Vga'gement'and sliding action of the slotted f linksy 34 with rollers 60 mounted loosely Lon j,

ing., jxs Ythe inovementrof the cranks 23 Y continues downward 4fand'l rearward the curved links 3tjslide or roll on these rollers,

the arms'ojf 'the 'support and j'to move the same andthe shovel"fre'arwardly"over the machine as theV same is shown in ullllines in Fig. '1, fthelong arms y26 which are 'Adi-` shown, ffold'ed er 'swung back against the, bosses at the ends of the -ar1ns733 connected 12o andthe effect ofthis 'istoioldor collapse. I.

to'jthe lowerfendsof the varms 31. At or v about this pointthe'sliding 'or rolling acl e e Y l l rectly connected to the" shovel being as here tion of the slotted links 34 on the rollers ceases,and atror about this 'time the rollers 46 on the shaft 38 engage the curved upper surfaces or edges of ythe side walls 22whereupon the shovel rand the four arms l of the shovel support swing downwardly as a unit, the rollers i6 rolling down. the curved portions of the edges of the vwalls 22 `and Ythen as these rollers travel along the straightsrportions ofthe upper edges of these walls, tne shovel is swung rearwardly `and lits load is'discharged into thecar or receiving` element 24 at the rear of the machine as shownby the right-hand dotted line position of theshovel and arms 26 in Fig. Vl, the ends of theV arms V26 which are connected ,to the ends of thearms 28 now being near the bottom of the machine. lniother words, during'the movement from the full line position of Fig. 2 to the dotted line position of Fig. l, the shovel has been `moved forwardly so as to be filled, is then elevated and moved rearwardly, undergoing a gradual turning or-rotating movement of more ythan 180. VYThe continued rotation of the cranks now returns theshovel and its supporting' arms, movin()- them forwardly to the full line position shown in Fig. l.

During the early part of the return-or for 'ward movementvthe parte pass through the same path that they traversed during the latter part ofthe rearwardmovement, but

when the rollers 46 reach the ends of the curved portions of the edges of the housing walls 22 with the VVarms of the shovel support collapsed or folded together as inFig.v

i the partsfsupporting and operating it pass through-"the cycle of movement just. de-Y scribed, smoothly and continuously, andfthat as the cranks rotate through one revolutionafter the other, one complete cycle of movement after the other is given -to the shovel'sand the parts which support and oper- Cl v ate it, the materiai'being scooped upinto the. shovel and then carried back Vand dumped into the car, shovelful after sliovelful. being discharged intofthe car without v any atten-y tion on the ypart of the operator.. As the,

material is picked` up in front of the machineV it will be moved forwardly'to additional ma! terial,y but ordinarily a large, number ,of complete shoveling and loading strokes can be given to the moving mechanism without the necessity for `moving the machinev fori-A wardly. The operator can swing the superstructure mounted on .the truck frame about y the axis yof the king :boltjso that theshovel sacaste will'be'ab-le toload thelmaterial located on both rsidesfof the longitudinal center line of Y the machine.I iiiomsw'ingingr mechanism is shown, it being understood that the machine is suiiciently light in weight that'theopei`- at-or can. with a suitable4 crowfba-r or other tool -turn the `moving mechanism aboutV the axis of the kin-0" bolt lll in either direction. as he chooses rand as rar asv necessary;r lov vary the depth of digging the eperato-rlias simply te var the height and; inclination. of. the

.v, r,il i. guides lr by turning-tnenuts 5;(,1`andto vary the length oi the ci ging, strokeqthe operator turnsA une handfwheeli "/ill in'onel di- `mounted on the lower ends ofl studs 66" on opposite sides'` of" a rail ofthe track and adapte'dto be turned so asfto 'gri'ptheV rail I by a. spring 67 extendingv between arms` (58v at the upper ends of the st'u'dsoi` These pivoted members arecarried by-ja substanev tially horizontal platec69` pivoted4 at r70 on the lower rear end'of the machine directlyl above the track rail so .that the rail gripper mayV be swung to rail e'ngagingposition as shown in Figs. 'l and 3, or. may be elevated to inoperative position as when it desired to move the machine. afdistance.- along the mine track. f

`71th these rail grips, any tendencyv to back the machine causes the toothed'platesV to more tightly grip the railand any force tending to move the machine forwardly causes the toothed plates to release thefrail so as to permit such"'forwaid movement, the,y toothed vplates 65 having their toothededges' so curved that this actiontakes place.

Having thus described my inventionrwliat` l claim is: y e y i l. ln a loading machine,y a frame, arsliovel, and meansfor causing the shovel to be positively and substantially. continuously movedk 1 Ythrough a 'fixed cycle of predeterminedfll# ingand dumpingfmoveme'nts including la.

filling movement at the front ofjgthefframe,

andi a movement of'translation back toward and'over the machine to discharge' the material at the rear ofthe machine .andja returnl movement tothe front of the machinefor the,y start ofthe neXt,Succeedingcycle.Y

2. In a loading machine, aframe,ashovel,'

means for causing the' shovel to be positivelyV and substantially coziitimiously` moved:

through a fixed cycle of predetermined filling and dumping movements including a filling movement at the front of the frame and a movement of translation back toward and over the machine to dumping position which is such that the material is discharged by the shovel at the rear of the machine and a return movement to the front of the machine for the start of the next succeeding cycle, and means whereby the cycle may be varied by modifying the extent of the filling movement without materially changing the dumping point. Y

3. In a loading machine, a frame, a shovel,

' shovel supporting arms with power means connected to the shovel supporting arms for causing the shovel to be positively and substantially continuously moved throughout a Afixed cycle of predetermined movements in cluding a filling movement at the front of the frame, a movement of translation back toward and over the machine to dumping position which is such that the material is discharged by the shovel at the rear of the machine, and a return movement for the start of the next cycle.

4. In a loading machine, a frame, a shovel, shovel supporting arms with power means for causing the shovel to be positively and substantially continuously moved throughout a fixed cycle of predetermined movements including a filling movement at the front of the frame, a movement of translation back toward and over the machine'to dumping position which is such that the material is discharged'by the shovel at the rear of the machine, and a return movement for the start of the next cycle,said power mechanism including a continuously operating motor, and members connecting it to the shovel supporting arms.

5. In a loading machine, a frame or base, a shovel, means comprising a plurality of connected arms connecting the shovel to the frame or base, and means comprising a motor, a crank rotated by the motor` and having a link connection with one of said arms for causing the shovel tohave a forward filling thrust ormovement and then to be elevated and moved rearwardly over the machine so as to deposit the material carried thereby behind the'machine.

6j In a loading machine, a frame orbase, a shovel, means comprising a plurality of connected arms. connecting the shovel to the frame or base and constituting a collapsible and extensible shovel support, means comprising a motor, a crank rotated by the motor and a link connected to the crank and to onel 1 7. In a loading machine, a frame or base, l

a shovelmeans comprising a plurality of connected arms connecting the shovel tothe frame or base, means comprising a motor, a crank rotated thereby and a link connecting thel crank to one of said arms for causing the shovel to be given a cycle of movement which fills the shovel and causes the shovel to later deposit the material at the rear of the machine, and a guidewith whichV said link co-operates during a portion of the movement of the link. j

8,. In a loading machine, a frame or base,

a shovel, means comprising. a plurality of connected arms connecting the shovel to the frame or base and constituting a collapsible and extensible. shovel support, means comprising a motor, a crank rotated by the motor and a link connected to the crank and to one of said arms for causing the shovel to have 'nsl a forward filling thrust or movement and f then to be elevated and moved rearwardly over the machine` so as tof deposit'the material carried thereby behind the machine,

said frame or base having a guide with which a portion of said shovel vsupport Vco-operates during'a portion of the movement of saidV support.

9. In a loading machine, a frame or base,

a shovel, means comprising aplurality of connected arms connecting-'the shovel to the frame or base and constituting a collapsible and extensible shovel support, means comprismg a motor, a crank rotated by the motor and a link connected to the crank and tov one of said arms for causing the shovel to have a forward filling-thrust or movement` and then to be elevated 'and moved rearwardly over the machine so as to deposit the vmaterial carried thereby behind themachine, and guides whichare engaged by the links and by said shovel Vsupport during portions of the movement of the shovel.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature. Y

' ROBERT P. GREENLEAF.

loo 

